Ladle



c. E. LEHR 2,043,048

LADLE June 2, 1936.

Filed Dec. l5, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 2, 1936. C, E. LEHR 2,043,048

LADLE Filed Dec. 15, 1954 s sheets-sheet 2 /Ir 'f T 5 s ff A "flw- =9\ fi I L?? 40 F y, L; E ff 4 I' v 3i To-c, ff

June 2, 1936. c. E. LEHR 2,043,048

LADLE Filed Dec. l5, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Il 5f Patented June 2 1936UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE LADLE Pennsylvania Application December 15,1934, Serial No. '157,600

7Claims.

This invention relates to hot metal ladles and. more particularly to arolled steel all-welded construction which reduces the weight overprevious cast designs.

I construct my ladle shell of three rolled plates. Two plates form theside shell, and another plate forms the bottom. The bottom plate is flatand reinforced with bars to prevent distortion of the plate and toprovide a fiat base for the ladle to rest upon if necessary during enemergency, and also to provide a flat surface for the refractory lining.The spacing of the reinforcing bars is made t suit standard brick shapesso as to reduce chipping and facilitate laying. The spaces between thebars are filled with standard lire brick to the tops of the bars, and aprotective layer of standard brick is laid over the top of the bars soas to entirely cover the bottom.

Rolled steel trunnion blocks are welded to the ladle shell, andtrunnions welded to the bloc-ks and to the shell.

A system of reinforcing ribs radiating from the trunnion blocksdistribute the stresses due to lifting the lled ladle.

A fiat bottom is more desirable than a dished bottom because of thedisadvantage of the dished bottom when setting the ladle down except cna ladle stand, due to tipping out of plumb for lining, heating, etc.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a ladle ofmaximum carrying capacity with the least amount of dead weight in theladle.

Another object is to constructthe ladle of rolled material in a mannerrequiring the least amount of welding, and thereby reduce its cost.

A further object is to provide an improved trunnion structure ofeconomical design and to provide reinforcing members welded thereto fordistributing the lifting load.

A still further object is to provide a ilat bottom for the ladle, andreinforcing for the bottom so as to prevent distortion due to the weightof the metal carried by the ladle, and to effect a stable base for theladle when resting on the ground.

The novel features will be more fully understood from the followingdescription and claims taken with the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the ladle with a portion of the top rim plateomitted;

Fig. 2 is a View in end elevation partly in section;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation view;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on lines 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 shows a trunnion pin;

Fig. 6 shows the manner in which the trunnion is welded to the trunnionblock;

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken through the top edge of theladle;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view through the trunnion taken on lines 8 8 ofFig. 3;

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional View taken through the bottom corner ofthe ladle; and,

Fig. 10 shows a modification of Fig. 9.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, thereis illustrated a tapering ladle shell of elliptical section comprisingtwo curved side plates I0 and II and a light bottom plate I2. The twoside plates being welded together along their longitudinal edges I3 andIl. and the bottom plate is welded to the inside surface of the sideplates as shown by welds i5 in Figs. 9 and 10.

On top of the bottom plate, Figs. 1 and 9. is shown reinforcing bars I6extending across the narrow dimension of the ladle. These bars arewelded at their ends to the inside of the shell plates, and at theirbottom edges I8 to the bottom plate so as to directly transmit thevertical load on the bottom plate to the side plates and to prevent itfrom being distorted.

Between the bars I6, I weld short longitudinal members I9 and 20, andaround the pouring spout hole 2| I form a box by means of members 22,all welded together to form a unitary network of beams for thesuspension of the bottom plate I5, whereby the bottom load istransmitted through the bars to the side plates III and II in a verticalshearing manner and without tendency to contract or expand the bottom ofthe ladle and thus throw additional stress into the vertical welds ofthe side plates.

With a light bottom plate reinforced in this manner, distortion thereofand radial contraction is prevented, thereby relieving the shell platesof contracting forces such as occur in an unreinforced bottom whether itbe flat or outwardly dished.

Fig. 9 shows the preferred form for constructing the bottom because nohot metal capacity is vsacrificed such as would occur were thereinforcing bars placed under the bottom plate as shown in Fig. 10.Furthermore, with the bottom constructed as shown in Fig. 9, a smooth atbottom is provided which is advantageous when setting the ladle on aground floor. A bottom constructed in this manner will not cut into theground and tip as would happen were the reinforcing bars placedunderneath. Again, a reinforced :dat bottom will not be distorted whenset on ground which is not perfectly flat. Obviously, a ladle having areinforced fiat bottom has several advantages over the ladle having aflat or dished bottom and constructed in the usual manner.

Fig. 'I shows a top reinforcing plate 23 in overlapping relation to thetop perimeter of side plate i I. The top plate is doubly welded atpoints 24 t0 the side plate at its inside and outside edges. This platenot only reinforces the top of the ladle but also protects thebrickwork. The dot and dash lines 25 indicate the brick lining. Plate 23is reinforced with gussets 26 welded thereto and to the inner surface ofthe shell plates. This construction provides an unusually strong andlaterally stiff reinforcement for the rim and with a saving in weightover ordinary practices having equal physical characteristics.

In Fig. 9 the bottom lining comprises brick 21 set on edge between theribs I6. The spacing between the ribs is sufficient to allow the use ofstandard bricks with a minimum amount of chipping. A top layer of bricks28 covers the tops of bars i6. These bricks are laid at.

The construction of the bottom lining as shown in Fig. 10 is generallysimilar to that shown in Fig. 9, the only practical difference betweenthese two constructions resides in the positioning of the ribs i6.

With reference to Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8, the trunnion housing comprisesa at trunnion block 29, preferably square, welded to the outside of theladle shell as indicated at 30. The block is bored for receiving thetrunnion 3|, and around the inner edge of the bore is cut a weldingchamfer 32 so that the block may be welded to the shell plates not onlyat its outside edges but also at its inner edge, thus providing a doublesecurity between the block and the plates.

After the trunnion is inserted into the block it is welded around thechamfered flange 33 to the block as shown in Fig. 6, and its inner edgeis welded to the inside of the plating as indicated at 34 in Fig. 8. Itwill be noted that the trunnion block is chamfered and counterbored forthe reception of the trunnion ange 33. This provides an enlarged bearingsurface for the trunnion where it enters the block, thereby reducing thetendency of edge cracks to develop around the outside edge of the holein the block. The chamfer on the outside edge of the trunnion flangecombined with the chamfer of the block forms a groove for the receptionof welding material as shown in Fig. 6.

Surrounding the trunnion block are frame-like members comprising a topmember 35, a bottom member 36, and two side members 3-1 and 38.Radiating from the block are similar diagonal members 39, horizontalmember 40, and vertical members 4i, all welded together and to the shellso as to form a unitary trunnion support free of distorting castingstresses. The bottom members 3B are provided with seating faces 42 forsupporting the ladle on a ladle stand.

Circumferential reinforcing rings 43 and 44 merge with frame members 35and 36 respectively. These rings are welded to the trunnion framemembers and to the shell plates so as to help distribute the stressesdue to lifting the ladle when lled with metal. At spaced intervalsgussets 45 are welded to rings 43 and 44 and to the side plates for thepurpose of reinforcement.

The ladle is made elliptical not only to increase its capacity withoutincreasing its height, but also to render unnecessary the difficultyexperienced in bending thick plates to a circle at or near their edgesand to provide flat surfaces for the application of the trlmnion blocks,thus obviating form'- 5 ing and fitting the blocks to tapering curvedsurfaces.

A three part ladle constructed after this manner allows the longitudinalwelds for the side plates to be overlapped by the trunnion housings,thereby providing additional ties between the edges of the plates.

Various modifications obviously may be made in the details of theforegoing construction without departing from the spirit of theinvention as 16 embodied in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new-and desire tosecure byA Letters Patent, is:

1. In a ladle having sides, and a bottom portion reinforced by spacedsupporting members secured to the upper side of said bottom and to saidsides, the spaces between and the height of said members beingsubstantially equal to the respective length and width of a refractorybrick, 25 bricks for filling said spaces, and an additional course ofbrick laid over said members and said space filling bricks.

2. In an elliptically shaped ladle, a body portion formed of two curvedplates having their end portions in abutting relation and weldedtogether, a bottom for the4 ladle, and trunnion housings mounted oversaid joints and Welded to said plates so as to reinforce said joints.

3. In an elliptically shaped ladle, a body portion formed of two curvedplates having flat end portions in abutting relation and welded togetherto form the body, a' bottom for the ladle, a at trunnion block mountedupon the flat surface of the plates formed by said end portions, saidblock 40 and plates being provided with an opening for the reception ofa trunnion. said block being l welded around its outside and around theinside edge of said opening to the side plates.

4. In a ladle for molten metal having a metallic 'shell provided with anopening for receiving a trunnion, a trimnion block having a trunnionorifice aligned with said opening, the corner defining the edge of saidorifice being chamfered adjacent the opening in said shell, weldingmaterial placed in said chamfer for securing said block to said shell,welding material applied around the outside of said block for securingthe block to said shell, a trunnion mounted in the orifice of said blockand projecting through the opening in said shell, and means for holdingthe trunnion in place.

5. In a ladle for molten metal having a metallic shell provided with anopening for receiving a trunnion, a trunnion block having a trunl nionorifice aligned with said opening, the corners defining both edges ofsaid orifice being chamfered with the outside chamfer being furthercounterbored, welding material applied to lthe chamfer of the blockadjacent the shell and welding material applied around the outside ofthe block for doubly securing the block to the shell, a trunnion pinhaving an end portion adapted to enter said orifice and said opening anda flange adapted to fit said counterbore, said flange being chamfered soas to form a groove between the outside chamfer in the block and theflange, welding material applied to said groove and around the edge ofthe pin adjacent the opening in the shell for securing the pin to theblock and to the shell.

6. In a ladle for molten metal, a body portion formed of two curvedplates having nat end portions in abutting relation and joined togetherto form the body, a bottom for the ladle, trunnion supports mounted oversaid joints and welded to said plates so as to reinforce said joints;one of said supports comprising a trunnion block mounted upon the fiatsurface of the plates formed by said end portions, frame-like memberssurrounding said block, strut members radiating from said block to theinside surfaces of said frame member; said block, frame and struts beingmade of separate pieces and welded together to form a unitary supportfor the trunnion free of shrinkage stresses;' and body reinforcing ringsextending from said frame around the outside of the body, said ringsbeing welded to the frame and to the body for distributing liftingstresses.v

7. In a ladle having a side portion formed of plates, means forreinforcing the top perimeter of said side plates comprising a top platein overlapping relation to the inside and outside top edges of saidplates, said top plate being welded to the side plates at the inside andoutside top` edges of said plates, and gussets welded to the innersurface of the side plates and to the under side of said top plate.

CHARLES E. LEER.

